Peabody Awards has pulled together a guide to some of the best stories from the past few years to discover or re-binge that are available online now. From dark comedy to compelling dramas to uplifting documentaries, here’s a selection of Peabody-winning or nominated programming that exemplifies excellence in storytelling.
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ENTERTAINMENT / CHILDREN’S
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A Series of Unfortunate Events
The darkly gothic and drolly hilarious tale of the Baudelaire orphans visually realizes the melancholy-yet-beautiful essence of the beloved children’s book series on which it is based.
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Donald Glover’s enchanting series innovatively balances the mundane with fantastical elements around the struggles of three young black men trying to make it in Atlanta’s rap scene.
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This dark comedy from Bill Hader and Alex Berg about a nerdy hitman who wants to be an actor is violent but surprisingly deep and funny.
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The spinoff prequel to “Breaking Bad” follows the transformation of Jimmy McGill into Saul Goodman with a unique blend of legal drama, crime thriller, and bleak humor.
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A heartwarming comedy set in London about an Irish woman and American man flung into a relationship after an accidental pregnancy is candid without being saccharine.
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Set during the rise of the tech industry in the 1980s and early 1990s, this surprising relationship drama focuses on people, not machines, and the creative process.
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A fresh take on the British crime drama follows Catherine Cawood, a strong but compassionate police sergeant, as she faces challenges to both family and community.
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Based on Gimlet Media’s fictional podcast of the same name, this intense psychological thriller transcends genre to explore the challenges faced by veterans re-entering civilian life.
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Creator/star Issa Rae helped fuel a TV revolution by capturing the everyday struggles of young black women as they pursue love and personal fulfillment in L.A.
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Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s masterful recalibration of the spy thriller creates room not only for two female leads but for women’s issues in almost every inch of its plot.
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Follow Elliot, a hyper-idealistic, socially inept cybersecurity whiz whose world-saving inclinations get him enmeshed in a conspiracy with myriad twists, turns, and socially relevant themes.
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Starring Tatiana Maslany in multiple roles, this sci-fi/mystery/cliffhanger serial about cloning ponders identity, humanity, nature-versus-nurture, bioethics, and genetic research—when it occasionally pauses for breath.
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Set in the burgeoning LGBTQ community of 1980s New York, “Pose” does as much important representational work and storytelling in its quieter moments as on the ballroom floor.
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Counted among the best television shows in history, the 1980s-set thriller centers on two Soviet spies deeply undercover as middle-class American parents in a Virginia suburb.
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Paced with deliberate yet eerie precision, the beautiful adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian vision of a fascist, misogynist future crackles with political relevance and vibrancy.
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Miriam “Midge” Maisel finds her true calling after her husband leaves her in this charming period drama and feminist comedy full of witty banter and lush visuals.
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The political workplace comedy that not only captures the zeitgeist of the moment also delivers a sobering message with sharp dialogue, street savvy, and lots of laughs.
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DOCUMENTARY / EDUCATIONAL
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Although the dramatic illumination of the ongoing disaster of the decimation of coral reefs is distressing, this documentary remains hopeful, calling for engagement and urging action.
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A chronicle of the music phenomenon that originated in poor, urban America gives new vitality and visibility to long-ignored voices of people of color.
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The film treatment of James Baldwin’s unfinished project about Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. offers a timely examination of race in America.
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The legendary career of Mavis Staples is a lesson in American history—covering the evolution of gospel, R&B, the civil rights movement, rock ‚Äòn’s roll, and more.
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Ezra Edelman’s epic film explores Simpson’s personality and his desire and ability to transcend his blackness to become a glamorous celebrity with all the privileges the position provides.
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A tribute to jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Dave Brubeck also highlights the power of African American culture on international affairs.
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A haunting, bittersweet biography that will enrich longtime admirers’s appreciation and entice new fans of the brilliant, influential jazz-pop chanteuse and black power icon.
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A powerful documentary about environmental politics focuses on the survival of the planet’s last remaining mountain gorillas in the lush forests of Congo’s Virunga National Park.
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PODCAST
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The investigation into the killing of a black man for exercising his right to vote in 1948 forces listeners to confront what previous generations sought to repress.
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With immaculate storytelling and journalistic precision, the examination of the cold case of Jacob Wetterling’s kidnapping asks what went wrong and why it took so long to solve.
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The brilliant tale of eccentric John B. McLemore and his restive co-existence with ragged small-town culture broke new ground as the first true audio novel.
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The incredible story of a colorful politician and con man in Kentucky demonstrates the importance of checks and balances, proper vetting, and tenacious local journalism.
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The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel
Vivid characters and fast-paced storytelling recapture the best of golden age radio while also representing fresh and diverse young voices in this mystery for all ages.
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